Lost Home (TV Series)
"Lost Home" is the first episode of the ninth season of AMC's The Walking Dead. It is the one-hundred and nineteenth episode of the series overall. It premiered on October 8, 2023. It was written by Angela Kang directed by Andrew Lincoln. Plot Two survivors unite while another meets someone who makes them consider what their true purpose is. Synopsis 3 Months of the The Kingdom fell, the long winter is finally clearing. Rhys Grimes is hunting in the wild, still having not returned to the safety of Alexandria after leaving. He goes through a daily process of hunting, checking traps, collecting firewood to dry and then finishing the day by returning to the pikes, to pay his respect to his fallen sister. However, he notices a walker standing still. He knows immediately it is a Whisperer, he unsheathes his sword before walking away. Michonne, wakes up and follows her daily routine before stopping at the door of the room that should be Rhys's, she tells Judith to go and find Daryl. Once Daryl arrives, she tells him she needs Rhys back. Daryl reminds her that he doesn't want to come back. Michonne begins to cry about how as soon as they got him back he was driven away again by "that monster". Judith listens into their conversation. Judith goes to Negan's cell, which has been updated to have a real bed as well as a DVD player. She sits down on a chair outside his cell and says hello. He greets her and asks what's wrong. She explains that her mom hasn't been happy since Rhys left. Negan is alarmed. He asks when Rhys left and she tells him the day after the first blizzard. Negan who is visibly annoyed that he wasn't told his son had left asks her why no one told him. She says no one thought he would care. She asks him for advice, he says he doesn't know. She asks what he would do, he says he would go out to convince him to come back for those he loves. She tells him that he thinks there is no one left for him here after Tara's death. Negan mentions that Michonne, Daryl, her and everyone loves him. Judith asks if he loves Rhys. Negan says it's complicated. Judith asks if he would try and convince Rhys to come back. Negan says that he never got to be there for Rhys when he was living his normal life and that now just to prove himself, to prove he can be a father to Rhys. He would do anything. Judith smiles. Rhys returns to his camp and begins to cook, suddenly he hears a snap and grabs his sword. He looks around, evidently terrified. He shouts at them to reveal themselves. Suddenly a walker stumbles out, he tells it that it shouldn't be here. It ignores him and he cuts its head off. Real Walker. Suddenly a man from behind reveals himself and Rhys throws a knife and it hits the tree behind him as the man ducks. Rhys demands he drop his weapons but the man jokes saying he has the advantage. Rhys doesn't stand down. The man introduces himself as Dante. Rhys tells him to move along. That night, once Michonne goes to bed. Judith sneaks out past her and outside. Completely equipped for going outside, she sneaks off to go to climb over the gate. Negan spots her from his cell and calls her over. He asks where she is going. She tells him she's going to bring Rhys back, for him. He asks why. "So you can be a dad" she responds. He tells her not to. She tells him she just wants to see him happy, and Rhys happy as well. He tells her that she makes him happy, she smiles and says that he makes her happy too but then frowns and asks but who makes Rhys happy? He stops to think. He asks her if she trusts him, after thinking to herself, she nods. "Pass me your knife then", she does so and he picks the lock of his cell. "We'll go make him happy together then." Rhys asks Dante, Rick's three questions before telling him he can sit down at the fire. Dante thanks him and asks if he has food. Rhys tells him he doesn't but Alexandria will. Dante asks what Alexandria is and Rhys tells him about. Dante asks if he is from there. "Kinda" he says. Rhys explains that he used to live there and then explains why he left. Dante asks if Rhys has a family there or a girlfriend or boyfriend. Rhys shakes his head saying he's never had time for either of those but he has a family, he just can't face them because he's a burden to them. Dante tells him he isn't but Rhys tells him he can't save anyone no matter how much he tries he's always too late. Dante reminds him that's not his fault but Rhys cuts him off saying he's heard it all before. Judith and Negan climb over the wall, he catches her as she jumps off of it. They begin walking and then he asks where Rhys is, she tells he doesn't know. He stops and asks her why they are out here if they don't even know where he is. Judith tells him, she knows he's near the border but that's all she knows. He is hesitant but she tells him she's going with or without him. He chuckles at her drive, saying that's exactly what Carl was like. She asks if that's a good or bad thing, he reminds her that he thought Carl was awesome. Suddenly they hear something moving in the trees in front of them. Negan pushes her into a bush so that she is hidden. He looks into the distance and sees several figures watching him before stumbling away. He tells her that he thinks he's broken his Whisperer Virginity. She tells him not to swear, he responds telling her that's not a swear. They keep walking. She leads them towards the start of the new bridge saying it'll cut their travel time a lot. Several hours later, Negan and Judith continue walking. She reassures him they are near the border. Negan tells her he finds the Whisperers creepy. She tells him they terrify her, but not to tell her mom that because she doesn't want her to worry. Negan tells Judith he won't and that he won't ever let a Whisperer harm her. She thanks him before hugging him. He is taken back by this show of affection. Suddenly they hear a clang coming from up a hill where they see a glow. They run towards it. As Dante and Rhys continue chatting, Rhys hears more walkers. He lights his torch and looks at them catching a strange shimmer in one of their eyes. He knows what that means. He calls out saying that they shouldn't be here. Dante asks him what he is talking about, Rhys tells him to be quiet. The Whisperers do not respond. Rhys repeats himself. One of the Whisperers respond saying they are expanding and that this is their land. Rhys assures them it's his land. All six of the walkers unsheathe their knives. Rhys locks eyes with them. Dante also unsheathes a knife, reassuring Rhys he has his back. The Whisperers attack and they both begin to cut them down. They put up a good fight at the start taking out the first three but then Dante is pinned down while Rhys receives a slash from one before killing them. He is then also pinned down and begins to lose his grip before a knife is plunged into the throat of the Whisperer. Negan stands behind the Whisperer holding his hand out. "Well, what do we have here. It's past your bedtime son." Rhys gets to his feet and asks why Negan is here. Judith then reveals herself saying she let him out to help her find him. He looks at her before hugging her. She hugs him back. He asks why she is here for him. "Because, you're alone and no one makes you happy. You deserve to be happy Rhys". He looks at her with tears in his eyes before diverting his attention to Dante. He tells them that when they leave they should take him with them as he's looking to join. Dante introduces himself and asks if he is the leader. Negan responds yes but Judith and Rhys correct him. Negan agrees saying "ok no, no i'm not". Judith asks Rhys why he won't come back. Rhys tells her that he can't live with people he loves anymore. First he was too late to save Carl, then Rick, then Tara and then how long it would be before he loses someone else. Negan reminds Rhys that the reason they are still fighting is so that they can be with their loved ones and that if he gives up, what has he got to live for. Rhys snarkily asks him, "why are you still here then? You don't love anyone." Judith lashes out by saying that Negan loves Rhys and that he has never been able to show it before but now he finally has a chance. Rhys laughs at the statement saying that Negan has to stop manipulating his sister to try and get in his head. Negan tells him, he's not manipulating her, he really does want to try and make up for lost time saying that he's never going to have the chance again. And when it comes down to it, he is Rhys's father and he is his son, and he will never stop trying. Dante steps in and mentions to Rhys, he called Judith his sister, and that she needs someone to look up to and to care for her. And that she'll be lost without him. Michonne wakes up the next morning to get Judith up for school, she realises she is missing and begins to panic. She goes to Daryl's house where Lydia answers the door. She lets Michonne in and Daryl asks her what's wrong. Michonne explains Judith's missing. Just then Carol bursts in, saying she heard Michonne was here and that she should come to the gates. The gates open and Judith, Negan and Dante walk in. Michonne, crying, runs up to Judith hugging her. Laura and Scott go to detain Negan but Rhys tells them not to. Saying he can be trusted. Michonne turns round seeing he has returned, she and Rhys hug. She asks why he is back. "Negan convinced me". The next day at what remains of Rhys' camp, Alpha discovers the bodies of several Whisperers and sees they were cut down with a sword. She turns to Beta in disgust saying "No more". Cast Starring * Calum Kelmer as Rhys Grimes * Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon * Danai Gurira as Michonne Hawthorne * Melissa McBride as Carol Peltier * Cailey Flemming as Judith Grimes * With Samantha Morton as Alpha * And Jeffery Dean-Morgan as Negan Also Starring * Avi Nash as Siddiq*No Lines * Ryan Hurst as Beta * Cassady McLincy as Lydia Supporting * Kenric Green as Scott * David Shae as Dante Deaths * 6 Unnamed Whisperers Trivia * First Appearance of Dante. * First Appearance of Gamma. * This is the first episode that the whole cast are not listed in the opening credits. ** Furthermore, it is the first that the Also Starring and Supporting Cast Members are listed in the opening credits. * The following changes are made to the cast as of this episode. ** Cailey Flemming (Judith Grimes) has been upgraded to main cast and is listed in the starring section of the opening credits. ** Ryan Hurst (Beta) and Cassady McLincy (Lydia) have been upgraded to main cast and are listed in the Also Starring Section of the opening credits. * It is revealed to be 6 months since the events of "The Calm Before" and that Rhys lived himself outside the wall for the whole winter. * Rhys is officially confirmed as bisexual in this episode as he tells Dante he's never really had time for dating Girls or Guys.